The Windows of Pirates
by Kissing Serendipity
Summary: In the year 1714, the Caribbean is infested with pirates. The brigantine Neptune's Daughter and her captain Tala Ivanov are rulers of theseas. However, a new ship sets sail and it may be Neptune's last voyage when her title is threatened.AU Chapter 5 up!
1. Chapter 1

**The Windows of Pirates**

**Summary: **The year is 1714; the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, and it's The Golden Age of Piracy. The Caribbean is infected with thieves and chaos is ensuing everywhere. In the midst of it all, the powerful ship Neptune's Daughter and her captain Tala Ivanov, are by far the best at sea. However, it may be time for Captain Ivanov and his crew to drop their sails and their flag when a new ship comes into the dangerous waters and threatens their title.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything. I cannot promise that all the history is correct. I am not held liable if this fic makes you feel like brandishing a sword and in turn, cut off one of your fingers.

**Warnings: **Pirates, swearing, _**violence**_

**A/N: **Well, here it is! I've been waiting to write a fantasy/ action/ drama/ unrealistic/ historical fiction/ tribe-like/ zombie slaying/ vampire/ fighting kind of story for a long time, now. Technically, this doesn't really fit the requirements, but I can't put my finger on the genre. I'm a little nervous about this whole thing, because really, pulling a story like this off takes talent.

Chances are this will be a relatively long chaptered piece, and I'm going to say right now; it's not going to be updated as frequently as my previous fic, Alluring Boys, Gorgeous Times, mainly because it's just a difficult piece to write. This is based off my love for historical fiction, pirates, and Jack Sparrow. And you better bet your ass I did my research. I would also like ye to please note, I'm not an expert in old English, nor in pirate lingo, so the dialogue in this story will mainly be in our modern language. And please be aware that even though I did my research, not all the history in this story is correct.

I'd like to state instantly with sincerest apologies that there likely will not be any pairings in this story. I realize many of you enjoy reading pairing stories, but I just couldn't bring myself to write another one so soon. Again, I apologize, but hopefully that fact hasn't turned you off from reading this! To put it simply, this is pirate!fic. Now don't we all love imaging our favourite boys in tricorn hats and knee breeches and stockings and holding swords and grenades and drinking rum. Beautiful. Enough of my rambling, here's chapter one of The Windows of Pirates!

**-BREAK—**

The sounds of men yelling and swearing were echoing through the main deck. Sailors were running left right and center, sprinting through to reach the gun deck in a hurry. The brigantine, Neptune's Daughter, was still ploughing steadily through the waters despite the chaos on board. A gunshot rang through the air, triggering a series of responding fires and men ducked to avoid getting hit. Another cannon blast was heard, the cannonball stopping just short of the ship. However, through all the commotion, a tall, broad man stood in the middle of the gun deck, his hat shading his eyes and his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He brushed a lock of fair hair out of his green eyes and shook his head.

"Christ," he muttered, making his way calmly towards the cannons, "You'd think they were avoiding the plague."

"Sir!" A young sailor panted, running up to him, "Should we fire?"

The man thought for a moment, "Ask your captain."

"He's nowhere to be found, sir," The sailor yelped as a bullet went whizzing past his head.

"You fool, they're using flintlocks, do you see how unsteady the sea is now? Accurate as they might be, no way are those gunners going to be able to hit their target." The other man snapped, and pushed past the young boy. "Go find your captain, I need to know if I'm firing or not."

The other ship was sailing closer now, its flag waving proudly in the wind. Completely black, with a pair of bones crossed and a heart set right in the V the two bones made. The man could hardly identify it through the smoke of gunpowder, but soon it became clear. He snorted. It wasn't a familiar flag, but judging by the behaviour of the crew, the ship probably wasn't a threat. Still, the captain still needed to be informed.

"Did you find him?" He asked dryly as the young sailor came running back, gasping for air. "Don't wet yourself, careful now."

"He's coming out."

"Did you tell him the uh…" The man's mouth curved up into a smirk, "The situation here?"

"He doesn't seem worried, sir."

"Very well, then. Get out of here." He looked up to see the ship's captain strolling over to him calmly without as much as a care in the world, despite the fact that his crew was causing quite a riot.

"Hold the cannons, we can get these idiots without wasting any ammunition," The captain said calmly, running his slender fingers through his fiery red hair and putting his hat back on. Captain Tala Ivanov wasn't necessarily a tall man, slender and willowy. His piercing cerulean eyes swept over the deck carelessly and he snorted when he saw a few sailors manning the guns.

"Nice to see you too, Captain," the other man grinned.

Tala turned, his lips curled up in a smirk, "Tell your gunners to hold fire. I didn't put you on master gunner for nothing, Bryan. How about doing your work?"

The man named Bryan turned and looked at the gun deck, "Hold your fire!" He called, commandingly.

Tala looked over the taller man's shoulder, "Bring out your musketoons and pistols and scare 'em a little, off a couple of heads. If they still don't surrender the cargo and booty, then they really are the fools we gave them credit for."

Gunshots resonated through the air as the sailors followed the captain's orders. Bryan chuckled and turned to see a well-built, muscled man with grey/blue hair and dark crimson eyes walk up to them in bare feet. He wore a blue checked shirt and a grim smile as he made his way past shouting men. The other ship was getting closer and closer and Tala knew they had to board soon.

"Wyatt's dead," the blue haired man said, "Died just minutes ago." His face was tattooed with a pair of blue shark fins on either cheek, marking the otherwise pale, unblemished skin.

"Fuck!" Bryan hissed. A bullet shot past his ear, "Fuck! This is why we need a goddamned surgeon, for Christ's sake."

"Does anybody give a shit about Wyatt?" Tala snapped, "Do you know how much time that idiot caused us to lose? Then, lost at sea. Worst sailing master I ever had! And for that I say to his death, good riddance." He turned to the blue haired man, "We're preparing to board-the bastard captain of that idiotic crew should be shaking in his boots now."

"It's a pirate ship," The man said.

"Really, your observational skills thoroughly shock me, Kai," Bryan rolled his eyes, "Of course it's another pirate ship. Tala's tired of attacking merchants. Apparently there isn't ever enough gold."

"Hold your fire!" Tala commanded, his voice ringing in the air. Neptune's Daughter fell silent almost immediately. The other ship was closer now, and the crew was slowly coming into view.

A lanky man walked up to the side of the quarter deck. He was obviously the captain. "Who are you-what do you want?"

"What do _I _want?" Tala repeated silkily, "What do _you_ want? You were the one who started firing at us. From a far distance too, no less. Not a very bright move, my dear gentleman."

The man stood up to his full height, "I am Christopher Thomas, captain of Dragon's Horror. Who the hell are you?"

Tala smiled. It was indifferent and reflected nothing in his icy eyes, "I'm Captain Ivanov," he said coldly, "Captain of Neptune's Daughter-perhaps you've heard of her?"

Captain Thomas snorted, "Sure I have. Tala 'Cutthroat' Ivanov? But Neptune's a British ship-You're not British."

Tala laughed softly, "No, I'm not really. My bloodline traces back to Russia. But it's really amazing what the sea can do for you. And now, my dear captain, I'd like _you _to do something for _me_."

"And what would that be?"

"Do you really have ask?" Tala pulled out his cutlass, "Your cargo, Captain, your cargo."

"And should I refuse?"

The captain of Neptune shrugged, "Well, I _am _Tala 'Cutthroat' Ivanov." He walked by the mainmast and grabbed a rope, "And here's the thing you should know about me, Captain Thomas. I don't play by the rules." With that, he climbed onto the edge and swung across the slight strip of salty, sea water and landed neatly on the other ship.

It was like a switch had been flicked. All at once everything seemed to happen. Scared and angry, Thomas' crew started pulling out their swords, pistols, anything they could get their hands on. The sailors on Neptune's Daughter raced after their captain, roaring with excitement. Bryan saw Tala, a lone figure, walk through the crowd as though he was personally invited for tea, knocking out men around him with the butt of his pistol.

"Your cargo, gentlemen," Tala said smoothly, "I'd like your cargo."

The men were still fighting all around them, brandishing their swords and a few of the crew were still on Neptune's Daughter, firing musketoons.

"Watch it, you fools!" Bryan roared as a bullet narrowly missed Tala's head, "You don't want to off your captain!"

Men were dropping on Dragon's Horror like flies. Thomas tried to fight, but was unsuccessful-he was still yelling out orders. Tala clucked and shook his head, at the same time breaking a sailor's nose. As a captain, multitasking was a general necessity. He saw in his peripheral vision, Kai and Bryan jumping onto the ship and joining in the fight. They wielded their smallswords expertly, swinging the three foot blade like true gentlemen. Duelling wasn't something taken simply, but for the ones experienced and skilled, it was still just a walk in the park.

Tala felt drops of blood spatter his face and wiped it off, issuing noises of disgust. He looked to see one of Thomas' men bent over bleeding. "Hurts, huh?" He asked the whimpering man, "It's okay, I promise it'll be over soon." He pulled out his dagger and dove it right into the crewmember's back, drawing out a choked off cry before pulling it out again in a fluid motion. He wiped the blood calmly off the dagger on the man's torn shirt and looked up when he heard a startled sound. Thomas was standing in front of him, face expressing shock, fear and hate at the same time. He smiled cruelly and turned away from the captain.

"I did warn you, did I not?" He started cleaning his weapons.

"What do you want?" Thomas choked out. "The only cargo I have left is-I'm losing half my crew!"

"You're losing _all _of your crew." Tala paused in his ministrations, "I changed my mind, I don't want your cargo. I think I'm ready to come to some kind of agreement."

"Oh thank-" Thomas breathed, "Stop! Stop!"

Both crews stopped in their fights and Tala was pleased to note that Neptune's Daughter had the most men left standing. He spotted one or two of his younger sailors on the ground but disregarded the situation. They were too young, they wouldn't have learned much anyways. He turned to Thomas, "Bring me your surgeon and your sailing master. Now, if you may."

"W-why do you want them?"

"_Now_, if you may," Tala repeated, his voice malevolently soft.

Thomas gave a nervous jerk of his head and two men stepped forward. One was tall, and dark, with long silvery hair tied back in a ponytail. His bandana was slipping off his head and Tala could see striking grey eyes. His face was handsome and sombre, but still held traces of youthful naivety. The other, a little shorter, was a Chinese man of, at the oldest, twenty one. He was good-looking, with honey coloured skin and long, ebony hair, and he emanated warmth and kindness.

"These are your…workers?" Tala inquired, raising an eyebrow at the two young men.

Thomas nodded solemnly.

"Fine, they're mine."

The captain looked up, "I-I don't-what? H-Can I just-Why-"

"Kai?" Tala turned to the quartermaster, "This is the only time, so make your last say."

The blue haired man shrugged, "Your choice, captain."

"Fine," Tala looked back at Thomas, "I take these two and in return, I will not send your ship to the depths of hell." He said sleekly, "Savvy?"

The captain nodded weakly, "Savvy." He looked like he was about to protest, but with one glance at Bryan he fell silent immediately. His two crewmates just looked at each other and followed Tala reluctantly.

Tala and Neptune's Daughter's crew started moving back to the ship. When the whole group had finally stepped back on deck, Tala turned to his first mate, "Kingston, take the wheel." Brooklyn Kingston dutifully obeyed, his bright teal eyes sweeping over the two new members of the crew as he went to steer, the wind blowing in his orange hair. He wasn't tall, but lanky to say the least and a little underfed. Still, he was a compliant mate and Tala liked him enough.

A gunshot rang through the air and one of his crewmembers doubled over, crying in pain.

"I knew it," Tala muttered under his breath, turning to Dragon's Horror. Captain Thomas was standing there with a few men at his side, anger blazing in his eyes and a flintlock musket in his hand. Without blinking an eye, Tala pulled his pistol out of his belt and with precise accuracy, shot the men quickly and smoothly.

He heard one of Thomas's men, the surgeon or the sailing master, he didn't know which, gasp. "Well, I wouldn't have let them go anyways," He said, "There's one rule I follow," he looked at his crew, his eyes glittering, and smirked, "Dead men tell no tales. And you all better damn believe I follow it well."

He was responded with a hearty cheer and walked down the deck towards the new crewmembers. His eyes flickered over the two, "Which one of you is the surgeon?"

The Chinese man swallowed and stepped forward nervously. It was rather heart-warming, "I am."

"Go take a look at my crew," Tala commanded, motioning the boy that had just gotten shot. It was a little guy, Ian Papov, his leg bleeding on the deck. "Hey, boy!" He called, "As sympathetic as I may be to your wounds keep in mind it's _your_ crewmates who'll be wiping up the blood."

Ian sobbed and squeezed his eyes shut. He was very small, with a rather large nose and a head of navy coloured hair. When he looked up Tala could see his violet eyes hazy from the pain. He was too young to be out at sea. He should be at home, farming or taking care of the goats, not in the business of piracy.

"I have to get him to the cabins," The surgeon murmured softly.

"As you wish," Tala said dismissively, "Bryan, take the kid, please. And if you don't mind, er-"

"Ray," The surgeon interrupted, "My name is Ray Kon."

"Ray, make sure he doesn't bleed all over the bed sheets, if you please."

"Yes, Captain." Ray started following Bryan to the crew's quarters. As the three men headed down to the chambers, a tall blonde walked out yawning and rubbing his eyes. It was a surprise he wasn't on deck during the racket the crew had just made. Spotting Bryan, he said to him, "She's in an odd shape right now; I keep saying we need more men for a ship this big."

"You know the captain," Bryan shrugged and shifted Ian in his arms, "Disregards that fact completely. He likes a close knit crew, he always has."

"Yeah, but there's about only twenty men on board for a ship fit for-well, more!" The blonde flicked his bangs out of his teal eyes and frowned. He looked up at the master gunner, "These men are being wiped out."

"Tell that to the captain, Michael, not me. And that fact hasn't bothered him yet, why should he care now?"

Michael sighed and pushed past Bryan to the main deck. His soft footsteps soon faded. Ray gave him a questioning look as they continued walking.

"Michael Parker," Bryan explained, "Our boatswain. He does a damn good job of it too, if you look at the condition of this ship, she's been kept pretty well. He's American, a drifter before we came and picked him up. His previous ship had been attacked and it was completely destroyed."

"That's pretty kind of the captain to take him in," Ray commented.

Bryan looked at him. "The only reason he took him in was because Michael was useful." He said dully, "If he weren't, he would've long since been dead."

Down in the cabin, Ray sat down and pulled Ian's trousers off to look at the injury. The quarters smelled of rotting wood and unsanitary bodies-a common scent on a ship. There were around a dozen bunks, some with the covers thrown off in a rush and the odd hammock hanging around. How anybody could sleep in one of those was really beyond Bryan's knowledge. He wrinkled his nose and watched as the surgeon carefully inspected the wound, his amber eyes narrowed in concentration.

"This doesn't look too bad," Ray concluded finally. "Do you have any bandages or something? I need to remove the bullet and dress the wound."

"You don't have any equipment?"

"It was stolen."

Bryan paused in getting out the kit of medical supplies from underneath the bed, "Stolen?"

"By pirates."

He snorted, handing the Chinese man the kit, "You're a pirate."

"I'm a doctor," he corrected Bryan, "There's a difference. And why do you have medical equipment but no surgeon?"

"Tala killed him," Bryan said bluntly, "Tried to anesthetise the whole goddamn crew so he could get away with the booty. Of course, the captain found out."

Footsteps sounded down the stairs and a young blonde with blue eyes walked into the cabin. His hair was messy and unkempt and the freckles on his face stood out even in the dim lighting. He was in bare feet, shod in a plain shirt and a red bandana. He held a bottle in his hand, "Is that the surgeon?" He asked with child-like excitement, "Is Ian hurt?"

"For heaven's sake, Max, have some restraint," Bryan said dryly, "He's here to do his job, not to be gawped at like a whore in a brothel."

The boy named Max flushed and walked in hesitantly, "The quartermaster says he wants to meet you in the captain's cabin. Says it's urgent or somethin', sir."

"Right," Bryan stood up and looked at Ray, "Take care of him. Our little cabin boy Max Tate will keep you company." He turned to the blonde, "Don't touch anythi-is that rum?"

The boy flushed and looked at the bottle in his hand, "Maybe?"

Bryan walked by and swiped the bottle smoothly, "No rum for you, boy. Now keep out of trouble." He walked up the stairs and disappeared in the daylight.

Blinking to adjust his pupils to the sun, Bryan saw the men on the ship cleaning up remnants of the battle. He walked through the crowded deck and down to the captain's quarters.

Kai, Tala and the sailing master were huddled around a table examining what looked like Tala's map of the Caribbean. Somebody had spilled a bottle of ink on the table, causing dark splotches to form over New Spain and right by Trinidad. A few compasses lay on the table, long forgotten by the previous user. The room was well lit despite the fact it received no sunlight, by oil lamps set around the furniture. The locket that Tala had won in a gambling game in Honduras hung on a hook next to his hat. It glittered in the light, reflecting Bryan's faraway image back into his vision. It had cost him a fortune and a good amount of his gold, but Tala insisted on it. He never let anybody look at the locket, but treated it as if it carried the secrets to the seven seas.

"The Biovolt Trading Company has gone under," Tala said in means of a greeting, "All of Biovolt's merchant ships will be completely worthless."

"Well that's unfortunate," Bryan replied, "Most of the merchant ships in these waters are Biovolt's."

Tala suddenly slammed his hand down on the table, causing Bryan and the sailing master to jump, "Well what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"Get out of these waters," They turned to Kai, "We can port in Barbados tomorrow, can't we? We have enough to sell for a good amount of gold, and then we can sail to Vera Cruz." He turned to the sailing master, "How many days to get to Vera Cruz from Barbados?"

The silver haired man thought for a minute, "In an approximation, I would say roughly fifteen days."

Bryan looked at him, a little surprised. Usually it took Wyatt fifteen days to _figure out_ the length of traveling a distance. Tala noticed his look, "Bryan, this is Garland Siebald," he said, "Nautically speaking, he would be our new sailing master. Believe it or not, he used to be a navigational warrant officer for the Royal Navy, which would explain his uh," his lip curled, "brilliance."

"You flatter me, sir," Garland inclined his head.

"Obviously he's used to pirate life," Tala continued, ignoring his comment, "Which is a good thing, because we really don't have time to dawdle on useless sea virgins. Ah well, tell the men to set sail for Barbados, we should be there in a few long hours."

Kai grabbed the bottle of rum out of Bryan's hand and took a swig before heading back out onto the main deck. "Gentlemen!" He called commandingly, "Your captain has spoken. Since we are almost there, we will pinpoint our course directly towards Barbados." He turned to Brooklyn on the wheel, "Hear that, Kingston?"

"Aye, sir." The redhead answered, "Just make sure the sailors drop the anchor on time."

Kai walked back to the crew's cabin silently. The sailing master may be good but he still needed to see how the doctor can hold up. "Max, why are you still here?"

The cabin boy was sitting on the bunk looking at Doctor Kon's work inquisitively. "Aye, sir," he said blushing, "It's all rather interesting. I've never seen it done before."

"You never saw Thompson work?" Kai asked, referring to their previous (now dead) surgeon.

"No, sir. And even if I did, I don't think it'd have been as impressive as this."

"I'm just dressing the wound, Max," Ray smiled, "It's not difficult work."

Ian was trying to put on a brave face through his grimace, but Kai saw through it. "Papov," he commanded. The boy's head snapped up, "Come on, face it like a pirate. Stop that crying."

Wincing, Ian narrowed his eyes and pulled his mouth down in attempt to put on a tough front. Kai tried not to laugh; it just looked like the younger boy was suffering from scurvy. "It hurts, sir." He complained, shifting slightly.

"Well obviously," Kai said dryly, "Max, why does it hurt?"

The blonde looked surprised that he was being called on-like a student being called by the teacher, "Uh, because what the enemies want-is to inflict pain?"

"Precisely," Kai nodded, watching Max's face light up with pride, "Not to mention, if you've got a hole in your leg where it's not supposed to be, chances are, it's gonna hurt."

A boom resonated in the air. Ray looked up, shocked. Kai narrowed his eyes as a young man ran down the steps, "Sir, they're firing at us!"

"What? What ship?"

"The captain doesn't know yet, sir, but they're asking you onto the main deck."

Kai growled and stood up, then turned to Ray, "Don't move onto upper deck, and Maxie, you know what to do. Take care of these two." The blonde nodded as he sprinted up the stairs.

It was chaos on deck, almost the exact scene as the one roughly an hour ago. Men were screaming and yelling, gathering gunpowder and weapons. Kai saw the attacking ship: a brigantine just as large, if not bigger, than Neptune's Daughter. The flag was waving proudly in the wind, the threatening image of skull and crossbones, a sign of beating black and blue. The captain stood at the bow, tall and confident, shouting out orders. More pirates. There seemed to be more pirate ships in the waters lately, but why they were attacking Neptune was unknown.

Tala walked out of his cabin, a quizzical look on his face, "Why are they attacking us?" He asked Kai.

At the sight of Tala, the captain looked up at their flag. The same flag, ebony black, with a red heart next to a skeleton. The Dying Heart, as many liked to call it. His face paled considerably and he shouted out a few more orders. Suddenly, just as fast as they came, the attacking ship pulled back and tried to escape.

Tala was enraged, "Oh no they don't," he hissed, "Bryan! They're running away!"

"Man the stern chasers!" Bryan roared at the crew, "They're not getting away that easily. Not when they initiated the attack."

"Garland, get on the wheel and go after those fools." Tala commanded, "They'll be sorry they ever crossed me."

"Yes Captain." Neptune's Daughter began a beeline straight for the other ship. In a few moments she was catching up with considerable speed.

"Fire!" Bryan shouted. Three cannon blasts went off, hitting the target ship accurately. The other crew started panicking, running to the stern to defend themselves.

"Cowards!" Tala yelled as they started shooting, "Idiotic-cowards! Reload and fire!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Kai saw Bryan pull something small and round out of his pocket and recognized it instantly. In a swift, bold movement, it flew across the water and landed on the ship. "Cover your ears, boys," Bryan called, "It's going to be loud."

The explosion shot two sailors overboard and drowned the screaming out. The ship was near destroyed, the grenade and cannonballs had done enough damage. Kai noticed a flicker of flames below deck and duck, triumphant, as a bullet whizzed past his ear. Soon, the whole deck was in flames and the crew started to jump into the water to escape the fire. Tala's men had single-handedly ruined a whole brigantine and her crew.

"Alright, leave 'em," Tala said dismissively, "Siebald! Back on course for Barbados, please."

"Right away sir," was the compliant answer.

Tala turned to his master gunner and quartermaster, "Dock tomorrow and we'll talk later."

"I can't wait," Kai muttered. Bryan grinned. It wasn't fair, of course, to leave the other ship sinking and rotting slowly. But like he had said, Tala 'Cutthroat' Ivanov and his crew didn't play by the rules. In fact, it could be said that they didn't 'play' at all.

**-BREAK-**

That, my dear friends, was the first chapter. I'd really like feedback on what you thought, if you liked it or not, and if you'd like to read more. Personally I'm rather attracted to the idea and setting of this fic, but like always, we aim to please the readers. I regret to inform you, however, that the next chapter will not be up until a while later because I'm going on a brief hiatus. So please, R&R!

Kissing Serendipity


	2. Chapter 2

**The Windows of Pirates**

**Summary: **The year is 1714; the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, and it's The Golden Age of Piracy. The Caribbean is infected with thieves and chaos is ensuing everywhere. In the midst of it all, the powerful ship Neptune's Daughter and her captain Tala Ivanov, are by far the best at sea. However, it may be time for Captain Ivanov and his crew to drop their sails and their flag when a new ship comes into the dangerous waters and threatens their title.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything. Pretty much historically inaccurate. I am not held liable if this fic makes you feel like brandishing a sword and in turn, cut off one of your fingers.

**Warnings: **Pirates, swearing, _**violence**_

**A/N: **So I'd really like to apologize for the disgustingly late update (see: about one year). And I love the people who reviewed, and I hope this doesn't disappoint (although I know the wait did).

-**BREAK-**

The waters were quiet at night. It was one of the best things about sailing in the evening, the dark shadow of the ship looming over the steady waters as it hit the hull in a repetitive, soothing lullaby. Bryan looked out into the sea, the stars glittering like flecks of gold on a dark, navy canvas. It was beautiful and calming, a serene hush falling over Neptune's Daughter, her deck empty and her cabins full of sleeping, snoring sailors.

"How're we doing here, Garland?" Bryan asked the master at the ship's wheel.

"Beautifully, sir," He answered, "Winds are on our side tonight."

"Not 'sir'," Bryan corrected him, "I'm a gunner, not exactly someone in command of you." He snorted, "Bryan Kuznetsov."

"Kuznetsov?" Garland frowned, "How did you come to join Captain Ivanov, then?"

"We grew up together on the same ship. Tala grew up at sea with Kai on his uncle's ship as cabin boys. It was a merchant ship, belonging specifically to Biovolt."

"Biovolt? The trading company Biovolt?"

"The one who's just gone under in copious amounts of debt, aye, that's the one. Biovolt's ships have been subjected to piracy recently, so it's losing a lot of cargo. Tala and Kai grew up at sea, and they picked me up after my ship was destroyed off the coast of Singapore. I was just a cabin boy then."

"Why is the captain in piracy, then?" Garland asked, checking the compass. It didn't point North. He tapped it a few times and watched with satisfaction as the little needle swivelled jerkily to the bolded 'N'.

"We hated life on a merchant's ship," Bryan said, "The only thing we ever learned was how to run a crew. The captain, Boris, was a bastard through and through. Got what he deserved."

"Which was what?"

"Pirates," Bryan shrugged, "Didn't give up his cargo and decided to fight. Lord, they went mad! Came aboard and nearly wiped out the whole crew."

"Except?" Garland prompted, and then answered his own question, "Except you three, right?"

"Right," the gunner yawned, "Except us three. To this day, I still don't know why, but they just left us floating, dead bodies all around us. Maybe because we were only kids. They tortured what was left of the crew and ripped our ship apart. We were shipwrecked for days."

"Until you were rescued, of course."

"We just drifted in the Caribbean for a while, damning hell until we were near the shores of Port Royal. Then a Navy ship picked us up and we lived in Port Royal for a few years. Believe me, it wasn't the most exciting life, I can tell you that. I worked as a blacksmith's assistant," he laughed. He stared out into the water, his face set serious and thoughtful.

Garland didn't ask him why he ended up in piracy. He just took another look at the map, squinting in the dim lighting of the moon and stars, trying to figure out the route to Barbados. It was a relatively small island, low rise and no mountains. Docking would be a simple matter, the problem would be that if anybody recognized "Cutthroat" Tala Ivanov, then they would probably encounter some unwelcome faces.

Garland saw out of the corner of his eye a strange mark on Bryan's neck. It was dark and hardly noticeable, just below the last few wisps of fair hair at the nape. Difficult to describe, Garland could just make out what looked like two interlocking circles. Some sort of bird with spread wings stood at the center-an eagle or something, he couldn't tell.

Bryan noticed him staring and put his broad hand over his neck self consciously. His fingernails were short and blunt from being bit and his fingers were long and callused.

"What is that?" Garland asked.

"A tattoo. I got it when I was young."

"How young?"

"Young enough to not even remember it now."

Garland paused and looked at the reflection of the moon in the waters, "What is it?"

"A falcon."

"The bird?"

"The falcon."

"Oh," Garland fell silent, his gaze sweeping over the water. Then, "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Bryan chuckled and fingered the green pendant hanging from his neck. It was a tear shaped gem, barely noticeable in the dim moonlight. "I find it hard to sleep at night," he shrugged, "Guess I'm like those bats, or something."

A cloud billowed above them, covering up the moon and swallowing them up in darkness.

**-BREAK—**

The next morning, Tala called for a crew meeting at the main deck. "We're going to be stopping in Barbados tonight."

"Why?" asked a sailor.

"We can waste some time."

"_Braaack! _Fool! Fool!" A parrot squawked on the sailor's shoulder.

BANG. A single green feather floated back onto the floor. Tala brandished his pistol threateningly, "Anyone else agree with the bird?" The crew was silent.

"Urgh, Captain!" The owner of the parrot groaned. It was Tyson Granger, Max's best friend and generally a lazy worker. Nevertheless, he had a contagious enthusiasm and hardworking characteristics that made him an (albeit small) asset to the ship. Tala had been unimpressed at first at the head of navy hair covered by an always present bandana, the naïve, bright brown eyes and that cocky, arrogant smile but he grew to soon admire Granger's stubborn attitude. "Come on, that's like, the tenth parrot you've killed. You never kill Kingston's stupid spider."

"Kingston's 'stupid spider' has never called me a fool," Tala replied pleasantly, referring to the pet tarantula his first mate kept on board, "Maybe it's from _your_ mouth that your birds keep picking up the words, Granger. You should consider getting it washed out." Tyson snorted. "And by the way, _Tyson_, I've given you an answer as to why we're stopping in Barbados, haven't I?"

"You have?" Tyson asked, confused.

"Aye," Tala chuckled, "You can get a new parrot."

The crew laughed good naturedly as the young sailor scoffed. "Thanks Captain," he murmured, picking a feather off his shoulder.

The captain smirked and addressed the small crowd again, "So we port in Barbados tonight. The ship leaves at 0900 the next morning, so if you're too drunk or too hung over to board, we leave."

"What if we're uh…preoccupied, sir?" Brooklyn asked hesitantly. A few snickers were met with his words.

Tala looked him in the eye, chilling blue eyes meeting striking teal, "If you're with a woman, Kingston, you choose between her and Neptune. That's the rule."

"Yes sir," Brooklyn bowed his head.

"Then come on, let's get this ship moving faster, for God's sake! I've seen islands that've covered more ground than we have." The crew rushed into motion, sailors back into action at their jobs. A few men went back to the sails, some pulled out telescopes to scan the waters.

"So why are we _really_ stopping at Barbados?" Bryan muttered to Kai, who was examining his compass.

He snapped it shut and turned to Bryan, "Tala's wanted to go to Barbados for a while now. He's heard there's some kind of fortune teller there that'll tell him how to find them."

"Them?"

"The truth about his past," Kai shrugged, moving swiftly to the crew's cabins, "Not to mention treasure, family, love…?"

Bryan snorted doubtfully, "Is this going to be something like the crystal incident?" He asked, referring to the shard of crystal Tala won in a game in Honduras. The captain had searched far and wide for this locket, believing in the myth that the owner of the crystal would become immortal and unbeatable. Power hungry, he worked his crew till three died of exhaustion, and acquired it betting with half their loot. It didn't work. As they all expected.

"…Maybe."

"Damnit," Bryan pushed into the cabins and settled on a randomly selected bunk. "I don't know what he's getting himself into, really. He's too reckless, and I don't really know what he's looking for." Something squirmed underneath his bottom, "What the hell-hey!" Another squirm and Max's head poked out of the covers. "Max?"

"Get off of me!" The cabin boy gasped, "You're crushing me!"

Bryan scowled and stood up, "I'm not that heavy," he said stubbornly, watching the blonde inspect his ribs for damage.

"Are we in Barbados yet?" Max asked.

"No."

Max looked hurt at the abrupt reply. His warm, baby blue eyes widened unconsciously and he stuck out his lower lip. Kai rolled his eyes though he felt some part of his icy demeanour melt. "Don't pout Max," he said, "We all hate pouting. Because we're incapable of it."

"So why's the captain stopping in Barbados?" Max asked eagerly. "Are we doing anything there?"

"The captain is," Kai replied.

"What is he doing?"

"That's top secret, Maxie boy," Bryan smirked. It was a past time of his to tease the cabin boy. Usually it gave amusing results.

"Can't you tell me anything?" Max asked, widening his eyes a little. He pulled his cutest puppy dog face, raising his eyebrows.

"Not going to work on me," Kai told him.

Max sighed and stood up. "I'll see you gents later," he muttered, walking out of the cabin dejectedly.

Kai chuckled. "We should be docking soon," he told Bryan, "Should we head out?"

Bryan paused. "And let those pious morons demand help from us?" he said affectionately, referring to their rowdy crew.

"Good point," Kai grinned. "Let's stay here for a while."

The two men sat lazily on the beds, the salty scent of the sea rich in their noses. It was always like this for them, the land was foreign, unfamiliar and a stranger. The sea was their true home, its lush waters, harsh waves and unforgiving weather. The sea didn't give second chances, yet from time to time it gave life and hope and beauty. It was where they belonged.

They were interrupted as Tyson barged inside, his clothes sopping wet. "Captain says you two are to be on deck," he panted, "Right now."

"What happened to your clothes?" asked Bryan.

Tyson shrugged noncommittally, "I fell in." He paused. "Again."

"Who saved your ass this time?" Kai murmured, standing up.

"The surgeon…Ray."

"He can swim?" Bryan asked, seemingly impressed with the doctor's aquatic skills. Usually surgeons spent time away from water because they hated to swim. A guy like Ray was rare to find.

"He can swim," Tyson confirmed. "Pretty well, too, because if he didn't jump in, I'd be fried squid now."

Rolling his eyes, Bryan pushed Tyson out the door. "Let's see what your captain wants," he muttered.

Tala stood on deck, his fiery red hair hidden beneath a tricorn hat, probably Brooklyn's, by the looks of it. His blue eyes, piercing and cold, swept over the deck as he watched over the crew. He propped one booted foot on the side of the ship and leaned his weight onto his leg, the move gracelessly handsome and dominating at the same time. In the noon sun, one could almost make out the tattoo on his left shoulder, almost clear through the white fabric of his shirt. It was a wolf, carefully engraved and a rich, pale blue, stark against the captain's pale skin.

"Oi!" He called, frowning, "Why are you two slacking off?"

"Not me," Bryan smirked, "Kai made me do it."

Kai didn't even bother dignifying him with an answer. "Hn." He pushed past Garland and Ray, looking awfully out of place to reach the edge of the ship. "How's Barbados looking?" He asked easily.

"Pretty promising," Tala commented without looking at him, "Pretty promising."

"Are you talking women or gold?" Kai asked, his face still expressionless.

The corners of Tala's mouth twitched, "I'd like to think…Both," he decided.

They grinned at each other, two friends amidst foes, two birds of a feather. It was odd how easily they could all come together, despite personality clashes, stubborn streaks and ignorant differences. It was odd how this crew came to be, how it manifested into something bigger than all of them, something beautiful and worthy of the sea. Kai could never figure it out.

"Captain!" Michael yelled, "We're ready to go." He yelped as a large tarantula scuttled past his feet to the harbour. "Kingston, damnit man, watch your stupid spider!"

"It's not a stupid spider," Brooklyn frowned, sidling up towards the tall blonde, "Zeus is incredibly intelligent."

"Spare me the theatrics, Brooklyn," Tala yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Go play with your stupid spider or your women or whatever the hell you usually do when we dock. I don't need to deal with you right now."

"Aye aye, Captain." Brooklyn raced off, his orange hair a blur through the crowded streets of Barbados. He was going to get lost again. Tala knew it.

"If you don't mind me asking, Sir," Ray said hesitantly, his voice soft, "Why are we stopping in Barbados?" He tucked his long hair neatly into its ribbon, a little wet from the sea.

Usually Tala would have told anybody to piss off when they asked that question. But Ray's naivety and polite mannerisms seemed too genuine to turn down and Tala couldn't find it in himself to snap at him, so he merely gave him an exasperated look and took off.

"Captain's business," Kai told him, not unkindly, "He has a meeting of sorts."

"Not with a fortune teller, I hope," Bryan heard Garland mutter as he wiped the steer.

"Why not?" he asked, knowing fully well that Tala precisely had a meeting with a fortune teller.

"Too many cheaters," Garland shrugged, "We used to go there all the time, they'd just cheat you for your money. It's pretty easy to spot the fake ones now, they don't really know anything at all."

"Can you spot a fake one?" Kai asked.

Garland shrugged, "Probably. It's not too difficult. Ray and I used to go visit the old fortune tellers for kicks, but it's really expensive and it doesn't really work."

Kai looked at him thoughtfully. "Come along, then," he demanded, "Come with us to accompany the captain."

"Would that be okay?" Ray asked, "I mean, we wouldn't want to disrupt-"

"Please," Bryan snorted, "The only thing Tala cares about is gold." Kai hummed in agreement. "He's not going to care if you come along."

The four pushed their way through the busy streets and turned into a quite alleyway. It was very dimly lit, a few candles here and there, the scent of spices strong in the air. Ray sneezed. It was so dusty, like an alleyway that hadn't been touched for an eternity. Hadn't been touched until now. The walls glittered with dew and wax, and they pushed into a small tent at the end of an alleyway.

"So what do you think?" Bryan asked doubtfully. "Fake or what?"

"It's hard to tell," Garland frowned, "Usually they're a lot more over the top than this, but you may never know."

They found Tala sitting in the tent in front of an old woman. Her robes were a glittering silver, long and thick in the summer air and her white hair was completely tied up in a bun. The look she gave them could only be described as expectant, her eyes a pale gold in the dim light of the candle. She raised a white eyebrow and ran her fingers over her reading table, the tablecloth catching on her nails.

"I saw you coming," she said softly, her voice echoing around the tent. It was eerie, but not completely unexpected. This wasn't the first visit they paid to a fortune teller.

Bryan rolled his eyes.

"Don't say anything," Tala warned, "I'm in the middle of something."

"An affair with a fortune teller," Bryan snickered, hiding his laugh behind his hand. Kai bit back a smirk.

"I'm not a fortune teller," The old woman said, suddenly alert. "I'm a fate crosser. I'm the one who has your fates in my hand."

Bryan sobered up a little bit. He cast a questioning glance at Garland, who merely frowned, as though deep in thought.

"I know what you want to know, Tala Ivanov," The woman murmured, "I know all your questions…But as for the answers," she sighed, "I'm not sure about those."

"So you can't tell me anything?" Tala asked, disappointment laced in his voice.

"Not what you want to hear," The woman admitted, "But I can tell you one thing." She leaned in, so close her nose was almost touching his. "I can see it already in your eyes," she said softly, "Your hunger for power, your need for more, your greed for knowledge. But be warned, Captain Ivanov, you may be at your peak now, you may be king of the seas, it will end. And it will end soon."

"What do you mean?" Tala demanded, "Is my position about to be taken by someone else?" He glared at his four crew members, as though daring them to challenge him for his position.

"Not quite," The woman said gently, "But I'm afraid that's all I know, the fates are a little blurry for me right now, it's starting to gloss over."

Tala sighed. It was obviously not what he was looking for.

"But I'll tell you this," the woman told him, "Hang on tight to whatever you have. And take this for luck." She dug deep into her pocket and pulled out a black glass cube. "When the time comes, the darkness will go away, and you will find what you want."

"That's really ambiguous," Ray muttered, unable to hold it in.

The woman ignored him. "Good luck, Captain Ivanov," she said, "You have my best regards."

"That's it?" Bryan asked sarcastically as they were ushered out of the tent, the skies suddenly bright. "You're not going to ask us to stay for tea?"

"I would, Mr. Kuznetsov," she replied, amused at the surprised look on his face, "But I'm afraid all my tea leaves contain some traces of poison. Good day."

Tala walked out of the tent, his mouth a tight line. But he walked alongside his crew as they exited the alleyway, his hands still gripping onto the small glass cube.

**-BREAK—**

Oh, the suspense! XD

I apologize for the late update, but I thank you for reading! Please leave feedback, I'd love to hear what you think of this so far. I'm already in the process of writing part three. Soon we'll meet the villains-my favourite part.

Kissing Serendipity


	3. Chapter 3

**The Windows of Pirates**

**Summary: **The year is 1714; the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, and it's The Golden Age of Piracy. The Caribbean is infected with thieves and chaos is ensuing everywhere. In the midst of it all, the powerful ship Neptune's Daughter and her captain Tala Ivanov, are by far the best at sea. However, it may be time for Captain Ivanov and his crew to drop their sails and their flag when a new ship comes into the dangerous waters and threatens their title.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything. Pretty much historically inaccurate. I am not held liable if this fic makes you feel like brandishing a sword and in turn, cut off one of your fingers.

**Warnings: **Pirates, swearing, _**violence**_

**A/N: **I seriously refuse to believe that nobody has any opinion on this and will just cast a glance at it and leave without as much as a comment. Any particular reason for this chilly silence-as ridiculous as it sounds, is it the lack of romance? Please, it's love between men and the sea, that's plenty of love for you.

**-BREAK—**

Tala strode into the pub with an air of ignorant superiority, the kind his crew had always called "The Ivanov Aura", the kind that rendered gentlemen speechless and the kind that made the ladies swoon. It was the kind that Kai and Bryan loathed with a passion, although they knew that their beloved captain would be nothing without it. It literally defined him, his fiery temper with his red hair to match, his icy blue eyes in line with his heart. But they knew, with a kind of stubborn affection, that "Cutthroat Ivanov" wouldn't be half as cutthroat without this ignorance.

"Get me a bottle of rum now," he called commandingly, settling himself on a barstool. He flicked a strand of hair out of his eyes and pulled out the glass cube he'd acquired grudgingly from the Fate Crosser. "What the devil do you suppose this is?"

"I don't know," Bryan shrugged, "A crystal cube?" Kai snickered at that, his elbow propped up on the counter.

Tala glared at him. He rounded on Ray, sipping from a glass of wine. Where he got it was completely debatable. "Don't you know anything about stuff like this?" he demanded, "This voodoo shit or whatever the hell it is?"

Ray shook his head. "I don't," he admitted, "I'm sorry, but I'm nothing but a surgeon."

"I know," said a voice. They turned to look at Garland, seemingly forgotten amongst the crowd of the busy bar. He held a bottle of vodka in his hand. "I know your voodoo shit. I learned it all from gypsies."

"You're a gypsy?" Ray asked, surprise written all over his soft features. He raised a dark eyebrow and his eyes narrowed, the iris more yellow than brown in the light. His pupils were almost slits. "You never told me that."

"I'm not," Garland replied. "People say that gypsies are nothing but a bunch of cheats and liars and fakes, but that's not all true. My whole family lived with a group of travelling gypsies; we learned all the skills of our trades with them. That's how I learned to basics of becoming a sailing master. My older brothers and sisters learned even more-they're the best at what they do."

"So what did you learn about dark magic?" Tala asked.

The sailing master frowned, a crease forming gently along his brow. "Not much," he admitted, "But I have to say, Captain, I don't believe the cube is part of dark magic. I think it's exactly what the Fate Crosser said, we should hang onto it-when the time is right, it will prove itself useful."

"I don't want to wait," Tala scowled impatiently. "It's so annoying."

"Not much we can do now," Kai said suddenly. They all turned to look at him. "We don't even know which way to sail anymore. The biggest corporation has gone under and that means the waters are uninhibited and unclaimed. Should we make a move now, the seven seas will be completely under Neptune's control, we just don't know where."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," a soft female voice said behind them. They turned towards the bar to see the bartender wiping a glass. It took more than a few blinks to realize that the bartender ,whom they thought was originally male was indeed female. It was starting to look difficult as to how they must have missed it. Her long red hair was tied up in an elastic, and underneath the apron was unmistakably the physique of a young woman.

"Salima," she introduced herself quickly. "Bartender."

Ray bowed and reached out to shake her hand. "Ray Kon," he said, "Surgeon."

Tala downed his rum. "Ivanov," he said quietly. "Pirate."

There was a small silence as they gauged her reaction. After a few moments, Salima's face broke out into a small smile. "Nice to make your acquaintance, Captain Ivanov," she said, "Welcome to Barbados."

Kai and Bryan shared an amused look. Most people screamed when they heard Ivanov, Salima merely grinned. It was rare nowadays to see bravery, or stupidity, like this.

"And what were you talking about, Salima the bartender?" Tala asked, "Biovolt's going under, baby. That company will be nothing but ashes soon."

"Maybe so," she shrugged, "But rumour has it that a new ship has set sail near the borders. A powerful, strong ship. She's destroyed almost every ship in her sight, and they say the captain is- if not more, bloodthirsty than you."

"Really?" Kai was interested. This was news to him. It has been a long time since any new ships set sail, especially powerful pirate ships. "From where have they been sailing?"

"Cartegena. If we're lucky, they'll stop in Barbados."

"Who told you this?" Ray asked her, "Won't you get into trouble for telling us?"

Salima smiled cheekily, "Ray, you're assuming there's going to be a war without anything happening yet," she reprimanded. Ray flushed. "Try to wait until you have no choice, then resort to violence, that's what I always say."

"I beg to differ," Bryan muttered.

"You may," Salima continued, "But Barbados is small. We don't really have a choice."

"So you think this new ship may be dangerous?" Garland asked her, "Posing a threat?"

She shrugged, her red hair bouncing. "I don't know, I'm just a bartender. But there's a lot of talk in pubs like these, and I hear the captain's quite the charmer."

Tala raised an eyebrow delicately. "Oh really?"

"Nothing compared to you, of course," Salima said quickly, "But I'd…Be careful."

"Captain who?" Bryan asked, "What's the captain's name?"

She frowned. "Oh, I don't remember," she wracked her brain, "Something about…Helmets. Or protection."

"Excuse me?" Garland looked confused, "Helmets and protection? Are we talking body armour here?"

"Maybe it started with an 's'," she muttered to herself, "That had to be it. S…Short…Shell…"

"I don't think we're going to get anything more out of her," Bryan said under his breath to Tala.

"What if she's right? What if they are tons more ships out there-"

"And what if she is? Who cares, they're not bothering us-"

"Technically, we don't own any of the gold, and they could take it all," Garland supplied helpfully.

"I took that," Tala hissed, "I blew those ships to smithereens, like hell I'm going to let some newbie get on my case-"

"I got it!" Salima yelled suddenly. Ray lost his footing on his chair and slipped. "It's Shield! Captain Shield!"

Somebody snickered. They all turned around to see a woman wrapped in a dark blue shawl. "So this is the legendary Cutthroat Ivanov," she sneered, "You don't look very tough at all. In fact, I bet you're nothing without your stupid right hand bitches."

"Excuse me?" Tala said, his voice dangerously quiet. "And who are you?"

The woman flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. In the dim lighting Bryan could see her glittering, green eyes, the colour of envy, the sick, ugly colour of sin. "Who I am is not important," she said easily, "You'll never live to figure it out, anyways. Your days of piracy are over."

"Is that so?" Kai asked, "Says who, exactly? Your highness, right here?"

"Oh, no," she chuckled darkly, "Not me. But I agree. You and your little crew of runts are going to burn in the wrath of the sea."

"Is that a threat?" Bryan growled, his hands reaching for his cutlass. Garland grabbed his arm and gave him a warning look. Hesitantly, he relaxed his arms.

"I don't need to threaten you," the woman said smugly, "Everybody knows the story. Tala Ivanov, the foolish, reckless captain who gave his heart to his ruddy ship and the sea."

"Don't insult Neptune," Tala hissed, "Or me, or my crew. Who do you think you are?"

"I keep saying it, but I guess you don't understand," she sighed, "Who I am is not important. What's important is your future. And from the looks of it," she giggled, "There's not much of it. Not that it matters, right?" she added as a second thought, "I mean, you three were never much for…_family_, right?"

Kai dove out of his chair and whipped out his smallsword. "You're all talk, sweetheart," he said mockingly, though his hands were trembling with anger. "I'm not afraid to cut off each of your fingers, one by one." He brandished the blade and people started screaming, racing to escape the pub.

"Stop it, Kai!" Bryan snapped, but his hands were already reaching towards his belt.

The woman jumped up and pulled out her knife. "I'm not afraid of you," she taunted, "the sea doesn't do much for you, does she?"

"I'm tired of your rubbish," Bryan said angrily, pointing his cutlass at her. "You're going to die tonight."

She grinned at him. "Come and get me." With that, she jumped onto bar counter and raced down the table, knocking glasses and liquids everywhere. She was fast, in leather boots and men's trousers but Kai and Bryan were faster, running after her and brandishing their weapons. Pretty soon they were duelling, the cling of metal sharp against each other every time they made a hit.

"Oh great," Salima rolled her eyes, smiling, "We get to see a swordfight. How exciting."

"How pathetic," Tala pointed out coolly, "Two men against one woman? How useless are they?"

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Ray asked worriedly, watching as Bryan wielded his sword, his face a picture of concentration. Bryan knocked over a pitcher of milk and it shattered to the ground, glass everywhere. The milk seeped into the floorboards, white and slick.

"Well she was asking for it," Garland pointed out as Kai jumped onto the ground and continued the fight, his hand quick and strong. Suddenly, his blade cut against the woman's arm and the skin started to cut and bleed.

"How's that for being a right hand bitch?" Kai growled.

"Not bad," she panted, obviously hurt. "But you obviously haven't learned enough yet, you inexperienced, foolish boy."

She reached into her pocket and pulled something out.

Garland recognized what it was. "Don't let her get away!" he cried.

As soon as he uttered these words, a cloud of smoke billowed past and enveloped them home, enclosing them in darkness. They were unable to see anything now, unable to hear, save for the coughing and wheezing of those around them. When the dark cloud finally cleared, the woman was gone, the door to the pub swinging shut.

Ray made a motion to go after her.

"Don't," Tala warned, "Let her go. It won't be the last time we see her."

"Captain!" Max burst through the doors panting. He was obviously hoping to walk in on some good pirate action. "Did I miss anythi-can I help you?"

"Maxie, did you see a woman run down the street?" Tala said.

Max thought for a moment, rubbing his baby blue eyes. His hair was a mess. "Yes, I did. She looked like she was in a hurry."

Bryan stared at him. "And you didn't stop her?"

Max shook his head. "She looked like she was in a hurry, so I let her go." He suddenly looked nervous. "Why, did I do something wrong?"

Tala shook his head. "No, you stupid boy."

"I was just trying to help her out!" Max protested.

"That's exactly my point," sighed Tala. "No good deed goes unpunished." He reached over and ruffled Max's soft blonde hair. He was another one of the young ones, the innocent ones too naïve to be in piracy. Why did he and Tyson have to end up homeless young thieves back in Vera Cruz? He had to admit, the boys did come in handy. They could tell a thief from a mile away, and taught the crew some of the best ways to steal food and money. Annoying little crabs or not, they were still valuable to Tala's ship.

"We should get going," Garland said gently, "Figure out where this new ship is going."

Tala nodded wearily. "Let's go," he said, "You lead the way."

"You gents have a good evening!" Salima called after them, "Come back for more swordfights!"

They pushed open the door of the pub and the evening breeze hit their faces hard. It smelled familiarly of fish and damp wood, the loading dock slippery and wet. The stars were all out tonight, a clear night, Tala thought, beautiful.

"Captain!" Michael voice yelled from afar. His footsteps squelched against the water as he ran over. "Captain, are we docking?" His accent made itself even clearer when he shouted, the slightly casual American twang.

"Not yet, Michael, cool yourself," Tala replied. "We have some things to do first. Max here let one of our rivals go."

"Rivals?" Michael screwed up his brow, "We have rivals now?"

"Yeah, Parker," Bryan snickered, "All the gay boys you turned down back in Old Providence." He shared an amused look with Kai, who remembered all too well the men who couldn't resist Michael's old fashioned, American charm.

The blonde flushed, "Shut up, Bryan," he snapped. "Better than all those women you wooed in San Juan and never talked to again."

"I can't help it if they love me," Bryan shrugged, "It's just my nature."

"That's not it," Tala said impatiently, "Rumour has it, there's a new ship at sea."

"Oh, I've heard of her," Michael said dismissively, "The Saint Shield? There's been a lot of talk about her crew- I've heard them all, I'm not impressed."

"What have you heard?" Ray asked.

"Not much," the American shrugged, "I guess that's the whole bit about her, right? The whole mystery. They say the captain's a real sea slug, and nobody's sure where the crew came from."

"But what if they attack us?" Max blurted out, "We should always be on the defence. I don't want to be blown apart in the middle of the night by some ghost ship!"

Kai rolled his eyes, "Calm down, Maxie," he muttered, "You're going to be fine. Nobody's going to blow your brains out-you're not worth it."

"Enough," Tala said sharply as Bryan snorted, "Let's try to find out what we know. Garland, Michael, go with Kai to the village and ask around about Saint Shield."

"Yes Captain," Garland said obediently, and followed Kai into the glow of the village, the night beginning to settle dark around them.

"Max, Ray, you're going with Bryan to gather some supplies for another trip-and no flirting with women."

"What a party pooper," Bryan muttered as he pushed past his captain, "No women, no rum, no nothing. That's no fun."

"It will be soon," Tala rounded on him, "We're going to Hades Island." He smirked wickedly, "See what The Saint Shield is really about."

**-BREAK—**

I know it's short, I apologize. But hopefully when this chapter comes up I'll have more readers and I'll be prompted to write a little more.

Kissing Serendipity


	4. Chapter 4

**The Windows of Pirates**

**Summary: **The year is 1714; the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, and it's The Golden Age of Piracy. The Caribbean is infected with thieves and chaos is ensuing everywhere. In the midst of it all, the powerful ship Neptune's Daughter and her captain Tala Ivanov, are by far the best at sea. However, it may be time for Captain Ivanov and his crew to drop their sails and their flag when a new ship comes into the dangerous waters and threatens their title.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything. Pretty much historically inaccurate. I am not held liable if this fic makes you feel like brandishing a sword and in turn, cut off one of your fingers.

**Warnings: **Pirates, swearing, _**violence**_

**A/N: THIS. IS LONG OVERDUE. IF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS (AND I DOUBT ANYONE HAS), I GIVE YOU FULL PERMISSION TO FLAME MY ASS ALL YOU WANT.**

Ergo, here is the fourth chapter. Much love for the wonderful Silent Pandemonium and bladz-liska, who reviewed. Thank you so much.

**-BREAK—**

"Okay, I'll bite," Max said grudgingly as they trooped through the fields of grass, scratching at his bare knees, "Why are we roaming around in the dark without a lamp?" He couldn't see a damn thing in the night, the only thing clear to him was the strong salty tang scent of the sea, lingering on his skin. He rubbed at his forearms. "I mean, what's the point if we don't know where we're going."

"I know where we're going," Bryan snapped. He stopped and took a long, hard look at his map, his tongue between his teeth. After a few moments of grunting and squinting in the dim light of the moonlight, he let out a satisfied sigh. "Hah! Soon, we will reach a fork, and to get to the village, we'll have to take a…Right."

"Are you sure?" Ray asked, barely audible. He swatted at another mosquito buzzing by his ears, annoyed. "I feel like I've been walking around in circles," he muttered. His long, dark hair was starting to come undone at the ends and he paused to retie his ribbon.

"Who's the leader here?" Bryan said fiercely. Nobody answered him. One, because Max and Ray were both too tired and probably because Bryan would shoot them if they dared question his leadership skills-which were proving to be quite bad.

A few minutes later, there was no fork in the road. Bryan huffed despairingly and went back to his map. "There's supposed to be a fork here…" He muttered under his breath.

Ray peered over his shoulder. "Bryan, that's a map of Port Royal," he said despairingly, "And you're not looking at a fork in the road-that's a coffee stain."

Max looked over the other shoulder. "And your map is upside down," he piped up.

"Shut up!" Bryan said angrily, and put the map away. In the dim light, it was clear his pale skin had a soft pink glow. "Now you know why I'm not sailing master," he muttered, embarrassed.

The corners of Ray's mouth twitched. "Do you at least know where we are?" He asked.

Bryan's eyebrows furrowed. "Somewhere in Barbados." He answered confidently, after a pause.

Ray sighed. "You have no idea, do you?"

"Hey, I'm _master gunner_," Bryan defended. "I know my way around a cannon, not a stupid village."

"So we're lost," Max concluded cheerfully.

"Shut up, you little twerp!" Bryan snarled, "I'm perfectly capable of getting us out of this. I'm just…A little turned around, is all."

"I can't believe I was sent out with you," Max muttered under his breath.

"I can't believe you haven't been killed yet," Bryan replied seriously. "Honestly. How are you still alive?"

"Because you and Tala have been saving me all my life." Max chirped, grinning.

Gently, Ray reached over and tugged the map out of Bryan's hands. He flipped it over.

"Here's Barbados –No, let me see," he said patiently as Bryan tried to read it upside down. He traced the lines with his fingers. Bryan could only pray he was right because he had no idea what those lines meant at all. How did he end up on the most powerful ship at sea?

_Call it fate, _his mind argued mentally, _and shut up about it._

"I found it, Boss," Ray said and Bryan sighed in relief. His arms were aching from carrying the drywood and supplies, and from the looks of Max's pink face, he'd had enough, too. "We went the wrong way."

Bryan swore colourfully in Russian. "How much further back do we have to go?"

Ray narrowed his eyes. "Quite a bit." He looked back, the path illuminated by the pale light of the moon. "Something like…Quite a bit."

"You keep saying that," Bryan grumbled, starting to head back. The air was humid and heavy, it hung in the air and slid on his pale skin, sticky and damp. He brushed back his hair and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. "Let's go, men."

He waited for Max and Ray to catch up when he heard the tiniest crackling by the nearby bushes. He dropped his supplies instantly and pulled out his knife. He bent down and squinted in the darkness, trying to see past the shrubbery. Goddamn Barbados and its greenery.

"Hello?" he rasped, his throat dry. "Who's there?"

More rustling. Bryan took a step back and prepared to strike, his instinctual aggressiveness rising in his blood.

"Who's there?"

"Bryan?" he heard Ray calling out to him, "Bryan, where are you?"

_Shut up,_ he prayed silently, _Please Ray, stop talking._

"I don't see him," Max said loudly, pushing his way through the grass. They were getting closer, but Bryan could still see the bush moving quietly. "Do you think he left? I knew that asshole would eventually ditch me, he hates—ARGH!"

Max's yell startled the flock of crows perching on the nearby tree and Bryan watched despairingly as the bush gave a violent tremble and as the sky was filled with the calls of the birds, black dots speckling the sky. Something jerked and darted away, something almost close enough to be human.

"What was that for?" Max demanded as Bryan straightened himself up, brushing grass and dust from his trousers. He'd walked into Bryan and he in turn attacked the cabin boy in his surprise and shock.

Bryan ignored him and kept his eyes focused on the bush.

"Bryan?" Ray said hesitantly, "What is it?"

He huffed. "There was something there," he said to the surgeon. "Something hiding there…I don't know what it was." He rounded on Max, furious, "Because somebody," he glared, "was idiotic enough to walk into me!"

"I'm not the one lying on the ground!" Max retorted angrily.

Choosing wisely not to respond, Bryan picked up his sack and swung it over his shoulder. He tuned out Ray and Max's excited chattered theories about what it could've been, but he couldn't get the image out of his head. Did he…Was that a pair of eyes he saw briefly?

**-BREAK—**

"Where have you been?" Tala scowled, his hands on his hips. "We've been waiting forever."

"Go lost," Bryan said briefly, and thrust his bag at their carpenter, Johnny McGregor.

"Oi, Kuznetsov, just because _you_ were the idiot who got lost doesn't mean I want your goddamn stuff—"

"McGregor, please," he said, rubbing his temples, "Shut up."

Johnny glared at him, his handsome face tense. "What happened out there?" He asked finally, "you look like shit."

"Thank you very much," Bryan sighed, motioning him to follow him towards the Kai's quarters. "Appreciate it." he looked around, making sure no crew members were around, and continued, "I saw something tonight."

Johnny didn't say anything, he just continued staring at Bryan with the same curious, worried expression on his face.

"Some sort of," Bryan's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to find the words to express what he'd seen, "Animal? Like type thing? I don't know…"

Johnny listened closely as Bryan told his story. When he finished, he sighed. "Did it occur to you, Bryan, maybe it was just a coyote or a fox in the wild?"

"Yes," Bryan said empathetically, "But it wasn't like that. There was something there, Johnny, something important, I could feel it."

"When did you become so obsessed with all this supernatural stuff?"

He was right. Johnny McGregor was one the first crew members Tala had recruited back in England and he knew Bryan's way of thinking almost better than Kai and Tala. A native Scotsman, he was reliable, dependant and an excellent carpenter, despite being quick-tempered and hot-headed. It was because of his skilled hands that Neptune's Daughter was in such pristine condition.

Bryan thought it over for a moment. "You're right," he said, wearily rubbing a hand over his face. "I shouldn't be worrying about all this."

"Tala's obsession with fortune tellers has been getting to you, I swear," Johnny said seriously and Bryan barked out a laugh. He had a point.

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Bryan said under his breath as he knocked on the door to Kai's chambers. "Max and Ray know, and I'll tell the captain and Kai, but…Let's just keep this quiet for now."

"Whatever you say, Mate," Johnny said easily, clapping him on the back. "I'll get to work on the ship, the last attack we made gave her a couple dents in the right places, but she'll be good as new when I'm done."

Bryan waved his arm gratefully as Johnny thumped his way back up onto deck. The door swung open and Kai regarded him coolly, a small smile on his face.

"Max already told half the crew about your little adventure."

Bryan made a note to kill the little blonde. "I'm going to hang his blonde head on the rafters," he snarled.

"As nice as that mental image is, I am afraid it's my duty to stop you from doing that," Kai smirked.

Bryan swore. "Shit. They're going to think I'm nuts."

"Highly unlikely," Kai said breezily. He looked at Bryan, his crimson eyes serious, "You are the best gunner they know, a confident, fair leader and a genuine master. I can't imagine they'll think any less of you if you wore a dress."

He bit back a smile, "I have pretty nice legs for it," he muttered.

"I'm sure you do," Kai motioned him inside. "Come on, we'll have a drink of rum. We'll party a little. We give Tala hell. And then in the morning you'll probably have forgotten all about this."

**-BREAK—**

Garland steered the ship easily as Brooklyn sat by his side, chatting animatedly. In the small time he'd been on the ship, Brooklyn had warmed up to the sailing master quickly. Garland was a good listener, that's what made him a good sailor. He listening to the stories of the wind, the songs of the waves and most of all, he listened to the first mate with reverence and enthusiasm, something that little people had patience for.

"And then, Tala just left the ship! He didn't kill a single person!"

Garland frowned. From what he'd seen of the captain, it was an unlikely occurrence. "He left a crew of people armed with guns and went back to the ship alone?" He repeated incredulously.

Brooklyn nodded. "Not one person had the courage to shoot."

That made more sense, now. Famous Captain Ivanov, with the power and skill to render a crew speechless and immobile by fear alone.

"How can you serve him?" Garland finally said, "I mean, he's been good to you and all, but for somebody so ruthless and…Bloodthirsty." he wrinkled his nose as he remembered what Tala had done to his previous captain.

Brooklyn laughed. It was odd how nothing seemed to faze him. "You're right," he said, "Tala is cruel. He has never given a second chance. But then you ask how he can run such a powerful ship with such a magnificent crew, well, here you have it. It's not that Neptune's Daughter has never had shitty members, it's that Tala weeded them out already."

Garland shuddered, "Aren't you ever afraid?"

"No," Brooklyn shrugged, "I've been the captain's first mate since he started sailing. He doesn't have many friends but this crew is the closest thing he has to a family. He may be cutthroat, but he's fair. If you do a decent job, you get paid and you get treated with respect." He looked at Garland, his soft, teal eyes glittering mischievously, "He chose you now, didn't he?"

"Luck was definitely on our side when we snagged you," a voice said, amused. Tala leaned against the rails of the deck and look at Garland, "You're the best sailing master I've ever had." He narrowed his eyes, "It must be the corporate blood in you."

Garland bowed his head, "Please Sir," he said, "I wouldn't consider myself to be a corporate sailor. I sail because I love the sea, and I'm hoping one day she'll return my affection."

"She's obviously been good to you," Tala said dismissively, "How long till Hades Island?"

"It depends on the winds tonight," Garland told him, "But I wouldn't put it past two, three nights, tops."

"Brooklyn," Tala barked, "Get Granger and Tate and ask them what they know of The Saint Shield."

He watched as the redhead rush down the deck, his orange hair blazing. "I don't believe in gypsies," he mumbled under his breath.

Garland, unsure whether the captain was talking to him or not, looked at him. "Sir?"

"I don't believe in gypsies," Tala repeated, coldly. He looked at him, his eyes so piercingly blue it was almost hard to look at. "You come from a gypsy family, you tell me if I should believe them."

Startled, Garland didn't know what to say. His family _was_ with a group of gypsies. But they were not liars. They simply needed to make a living. "I… Don't know what to say, Sir."

His captain stared him down. "You're a gypsy, tell me if I should trust you."

Garland struggled for words. The captain has probably been cheated on by gypsies too many times to consider, but _him,_ Garland was just a man who wanted to make a living, just like his family, just like those gypsies, those fortune tellers, those fate crossers.

Finally, he spoke up. "I'm not a gypsy, Captain," he said firmly, "I'm your sailing master, and you can trust me with your life."

For a moment, he thought he made a mistake when Tala's eyes momentarily narrowed. Then, almost inexplicably, Garland could've sworn he saw those blue eyes soften and the captain smile. "We'll see about that," he said, "But it was a good answer."

**-BREAK—**

"Attention crew!" Brooklyn yelled over the conversations of men as they did their individual work. "The captain has a few words to say!"

The ship fell silent. Tala walked to the edge of the deck and scrutinized his men. A surge of pride swelled up in his chest. No other captain at sea had this kind of respect. "Good morning men," he said, "I hope you've been well rested."

A collective snort was heard at these words. It was widely known that most men did work throughout the night. Tala politely ignored it. "We are going to Hades Island to find out what we known about The Saint Shield."

"Why, Captain?" Michael asked bravely, "We already told you what we heard from the village, it's just another pirate ship with too much time on their hands! There's no reason to go looking for them."

"Enough," Tala said sharply, and Michael fell silent, "My power and position has been threatened. And you should all know," he said deliberately, looking at them, "that if I'm threatened, you're all threatened."

"That chick from the bar," Johnny called out, "Who was she?"

"We don't know," Kai said, walking up beside Tala, "But she was most likely a member of the ship itself. She should be, anyway, if she were brave enough to insult all of us like that."

"Bitch thinks nobody would hit a girl," a fellow crew member, Kane, sneered. His usually friendly face was contorted in anger. "I would hit that girl!" His words were met with a roar of approval from the rest of the men.

"It doesn't matter," Kai said, giving Kane a warning look. He was old and experienced enough to know not to rile up the crew like that. Kane gave him a sheepish shrug and ran his hands through his dark blue hair. "We'll find out everything about The Saint Shield and her crew, but we need you to stay alert."

"Nobody is to say they are members of Neptune's Daughter," Tala commanded, "We got to Hades Island as phantoms, a ghost. In fact, we were never there. If anybody asks, you create your own elaborate story as to why you're there. You have no connection to me or this ship, understood?"

The crew nodded. Then somebody spoke up, "What about your crystal shards, Captain?"

It was Tyson. Trust him to always speak up in tense, awkward moments such as this one.

"What about it?" Tala snapped, irritated.

"Well, I thought you were looking for those missing pieces," Tyson said quietly.

"Those goddamn pieces can wait," Tala sneered, "Right now there's somebody threatening my title, I don't need to worry about stupid pieces of jewellery. And besides," he added, "I thought you men wanted action? I thought you wanted to fight now?"

"We do!" Michael yelled, "We'll fight for you!"

As the men cheered their approval, Tala's face broke out into a rare smile. He raised his hands to silence them. "We dock in Hades Island tomorrow night. I suggest you all pack your bags for a light trip."

He turned back to Kai, "I don't want to linger on the island," he said out of the corner of his mouth.

Kai shrugged, "That's understandable."

"Should anything happen to the men, the ship, it would be my fault."

"You're putting too much emphasis on what the rumours have told, Tala," Kai told him. It was true, the news of The Saint Shield had spread all over Barbados. The general consensus of the people was that The Saint Shield was dangerous and played dirty, and not to be dealt with lightly. "Rumours exaggerate, you do know that."

"Yeah," Bryan laughed, "Imagine if you actually were as ruthless as your reputation said you were." He ducked as Tala aimed a fist at his head.

"You'd be long dead," Tala snapped, but he smiled.

"Take a break, why don't you Captain," Kai smirked, "Don't worry yourself like a ship wench, please. We don't need any women here."

"Shut up," Tala rolled his eyes as Bryan roared with laughter. "Go deal with Tate and Granger, then," he said, irritated, "They've been messing around on the deck again." God only knew why, but despite all the disregard and contempt Kai held for so many, he dealt very well with Tyson and Max. There was a kind of respect Tala could not see, but whatever it was, it helped in controlling the duo when they got out of hand.

Kai made his way up onto deck and saw Max and Tyson wrestling amongst a cheering group of men. He pushed past Johnny, who was making his bets on Tyson and cleared his throat.

"Max. Tyson."

It was almost laughable how they reacted. The two immediately detached from each other and stood up, stiff and respectful. Kai watched, amused, as Tyson started to turn red from the lack of air.

"Don't you two have work to do?"

With the permission to talk, Tyson exhaled and deflated. "No sir," he said cheekily, "I finished everything."

"You cleaned up Papov's vomit from last night?" He raised an eyebrow, referring to the boy's seasickness.

"Aye sir," Tyson said proudly, "I did."

Kai turned to Max, "What about you, Maxie? Did you finish everything?"

"I'm a cabin boy, Sir," Max replied politely, "My specialty is doing nothing."

Kai bit back a smile.

"Can we please go back to wrestling?" Tyson begged with his eyes, "I got all bets on me and Johnny said he'll give me half his share."

Kai seriously considered it. He made his way down to the quarters, but stopped by Johnny. He pulled out a sack of coins and dropped it on the ground with a thunk. Max's jaw dropped. There was a lot of money in that bag.

Out of the corner of his mouth, Kai said, "My money's on Max." He turned back to see the surprised expression on the cabin boy's face, his jaw roughly in level with his waistline. "Don't let me down, boy."

He walked back down the stairs, but in time to see Max whooping and giving him a salute, a huge grin on his face.

**-BREAK—**

Bryan jerked awake as the ship violently shook and a loud BANG! echoed in the air. He threw his legs out of bed and grabbed his coat. Pulling on his boots, he ran out of his cabin to smell the musky scent of smoke in the air. His eyes watering, he coughed and covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve before running to Tala's quarters.

"Tala!" He yelled, bursting into the door, "We're being attacked."

The redhead groaned and threw on a hat, his boots and jacket already on. "Grab your gunners," he commanded, grabbing a flintlock from his desk. "I'm going to see which bastard had the nerve to attack me at night."

Swearing as another shot was fired, Bryan ran back up on deck to find Garland dodging bullets. "What happened?" Bryan asked, reaching out to help him down from the stern, "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to see past this fog," Garland furrowed his brow, "Your guess is as good as mine; it was quiet, until that first shot. I don't know who's attacking us."

Over the sound of cannons and yelling, Bryan heard the high, cruel cackle of a woman. "I do," he said, gritting his teeth. Turning to see his gunners lined up and ready, he searched the crowd for Kai. "Fire at my command!" He called, and ran down the deck. He saw Kai, a jacket over his bare chest and a pistol in his hand. He pushed past Johnny, rubbing his eyes while loading a rifle, and ran to him.

"The Saint Shield," he panted, "It has to be them."

"Who else would attack us at night?" Kai said drily, "Biovolt's gone under, it's only them in these waters now."

"We were not prepared for this," Bryan hissed, "We don't have enough gunpowder for cannons."

"Make do with what we have?" Kai suggested, ducking as a whistling bomb was sent into the air. "Fuck, they are relentless."

"I don't even know how, we can't see them-" Bryan jerked as a bullet narrowly missed his leg. He saw his line of gunners staring at him, their eyes huge and confused. He scouted the area but couldn't see past the fog. "How are they locating us, I can't shoot if I can't see them—Oh for God's sake, FUCKING FIRE!" he roared at his men as another bullet whizzed past his head. "FIRE!"

A collective click was heard as his men fired into the distance. Bryan closed his eyes and prayed for the sound of wood splintering, the bullets hitting something…Anything…

Finally, the fog cleared and he heard Garland yelling over the crowd. "Bryan! Right there!"

Bryan and Kai ran to the edge of the deck and gripped the rail as The Saint Shield came into focus.

What a magnificent ship. It seemed to push the waves to either side as it emerged from the fog, almost as though it controlled Mother Nature's own whims. It was enormous, it's dark flag ripped and waving in the violent winds. It was at least 120 feet long, with massive, ghostly, billowing white sails and 8 stern chasers.

A man stood on deck, still and alone amidst the chaos that surrounded him. At least 80 men were running around, loading gunpowder, cocking guns, aiming and firing. He had dark, gray-red hair, and a blazing, hard look, that even from a distance, screamed power in his jade green eyes.

"Captain," Bryan hissed, "Not for long, you won't." Turning on his heel, he ran down the deck to address his gunners, "You're not blind now, men!" He yelled, "Aim right!"

"Watch it, Bryan," Kai warned, "They're loaded."

Bryan seethed, "Yeah, well so are we."

Tala walked on deck, his hair and coat whipping in the wind. "Are we ready, Master Kuznetsov?""

"On my mark!" Bryan called, as Captain Shield motioned another hit and a cannonball went neatly threw the ship's lower deck. "Fire!"

Kai had to admire the cool, collected nature Bryan kept in a time like this. The ship rocked violently and he grabbed on the rail from falling.

"Can you get us closer, Garland?" He yelled.

"Are you mad?" Johnny yelled, ducking to avoid the flying bullets. "They're kill us! We've already got one goddamn hole that'll take me fucking forever to patch us! If they don't kill us first, which I think they _will_—" he paused as another cannonball went through the deck. "Fuck! That, or we'll drown!"

"Garland, get us closer!" Kai demanded.

"They're using musketoons and pistols, Kai!" Bryan warned, "The closer we get, the more accurate those bullets are going to be."

Kai looked at Tala. He nodded. "Go for it, Garland."

As they neared the ship, the sounds of guns got louder. "Load 'em, boys," Bryan called out warningly, "Get ready."

"You're nuts," Johnny sighed, propping the rifle on the rail, "Goddamnit."

Kai saw the same woman from Barbados standing on the deck, a fiery blaze in her eyes. "Well hello!" She called, a cruel smile playing at her lips, "So good to see you, Mr. Hiwatari."

Frowning, Kai turned to Tala, "I don't recall any introductions being made in Barbados."

Tala had the same worried, confused expression on his face. "Neither do I."

**-BREAK-**

I feel shameless and terrible for asking this, but…R&R?

I am working on Chapter Five right now. Thank you for reading!

Also, can we please just imagine Kai shirtless with a long coat on? I promise I'll wipe up the drool from my keyboard later.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Windows of Pirates**

**Summary: **The year is 1714; the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, and it's The Golden Age of Piracy. The Caribbean is infected with thieves and chaos is ensuing everywhere. In the midst of it all, the powerful ship Neptune's Daughter and her captain Tala Ivanov, are by far the best at sea. However, it may be time for Captain Ivanov and his crew to drop their sails and their flag when a new ship comes into the dangerous waters and threatens their title.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything. Pretty much historically inaccurate. I am not held liable if this fic makes you feel like brandishing a sword and in turn, cut off one of your fingers.

**Warnings: **Pirates, swearing, _**violence**_

**A/N: **Ah ha! I promised an update, and here it is.

I can't seem to find a way to put a ~~ break between chunks of my chapter, so I've gone back to my previous chapters to find a way to break it up evenly. I used to put '–' but I don't know why doesn't recognize it. I realize it must be a feat trying to read it, and I apologize. I've decided to put '**—break—**' to cut my chapter into readable chunks.

Thank you, Desastrus for reviewing! I really appreciate the enthusiasm.

I like fast-paced stories, so I am trying to keep the plot moving on this one. It's been a long time since I've come back to this fic, so I'm working through it bit by bit. :D

**-BREAK-**

Tugging at the tricorn hat settled neatly on his hair, Captain Shield surveyed the view before him. He saw Mariam yelling orders at the sailors and smirked, satisfied. That pathetic Ivanov had nothing on him. He may have had the experience, the crew and the sea to back him up, but he had possessed the idiotic sense of fairness and equality amongst men in the sea. He knew you couldn't live a life of piracy if you didn't play dirty.

"Man the stern chasers!" He called commandingly, "They want to come play, let them get closer!"

"We're all ready, Sir," Mariam said, running toward him, her long, electric blue hair flying behind her. Irritated, she tied it up in a ponytail with a ribbon and tucked it beneath the handkerchief tied around her head. To the untrained eye, Mariam was another sailor. But to Captain Shield, in breeches, boots and a white silk shirt, she was his confidant, his dependable first mate.

He pointed at Joseph, darting between the men to load their weapons. "What is your brother doing?" He asked, watching his dark green hair bob up and down the deck.

Mariam waved an arm airily, "Don't worry about him, Ozuma," she said easily, "He could be playing for the other team and we'd still win."

Ozuma Shield bit his lip and nodded. "Whenever you're ready."

Mariam turned to a large, burly man with blonde hair and a bandana tied around his head. "Dunga!" She called, "Are you ready?"

The man named Dunga raise one large, muscled arm and nodded. "Those bitches won't know what hit them," he snickered.

"On my call," she said commandingly, "Fire!"

The force of the cannon sent the crew on The Saint Shield reeling back from the shock as the massive cannonball shot through the air and hit the waters near Ivanov's ship. Ozuma watched it sway, satisfied, and tremble violently.

"Ivanov!" He called across the waters, smirking as the men on the ship swore and stumbled. "I know what you're looking for! And I want you to stop and leave the waters!"

He saw the face of the handsome captain contort in rage, his red hair a mess under his hat. "I don't know what you're talking about!" He roared, "But I don't need gold or dubloons, you have no right in stopping me!"

Ozuma watched Ivanov's boatswain, a tall, lean blonde walk up to him, worried. _Michael Parker_, his mind told him mentally, going over a list of Ivanov's crew. _American, 24 years old. _

"Are you sure our data is sufficient?" He muttered under his breath to Mariam. He watched as his men loaded their weapons. "Joseph better not have missed anything."

"Relax, Captain," she said, "I assure you, Joseph is good enough at what he does. The woman told him everything."

"Good," Ozuma said, "Bring me the list."

He watched as Mariam ducked a hail of bullets and went down below deck. A moment later, she reappeared, a roll of parchment in her hand.

He followed her to a quiet place below deck and peered at the parchment. "What are we looking at?"

"The entire crew of Neptune's Daughter," Mariam told him. "Down to the last goddamn sailor."

It was an impressive list. Ozuma scanned it, he gaze critical. "Quartermaster…"

"Kai Hiwatari," Mariam answered instantly, "Twenty-six years old. Russian. Grew up with Ivanov on the Biovolt ship."

"Hiwatari?" Ozuma frowned, "Not Hiwatari, grandson of Voltaire Hiwatari, Owner of Biovolt Corporations?"

"The very one," Mariam nodded, smirking. "Seems like the old man decided to go cheap with labour and send his own grandson to work for his ships."

"Shit," Ozuma muttered. "And that man calling the shots on the ship, their master gunner…?"

"Bryan Kuznetsov," Mariam pointed to his name on the parchment. _Bryan Kuznetsov, _it said, _twenty-six years old. Heritage: Russian; Nationality: British. _

Ozuma looked over the rest of the list quickly.

_Carpenter, Johnny McGregor. Twenty-five years old. Heritage: Scottish; Nationality: British._

_Boatswain, Michael Parker. Twenty-four years old. Heritage: American; Nationality: American._

_First mate, Brooklyn Kingston. Twenty-three years old. Heritage: British; Nationality: British._

_Cabin boy, Max Tate. Twenty years old. Heritage: American; Nationality: American._

_Sailors and Mates:_

_Ian Papov, nineteen years old, Heritage: Russian; Nationality: unknown._

_Tyson Granger, twenty years old, Heritage: Japanese; Nationality: unknown._

The list went on like this. Smiling, Ozuma rolled up the parchment and turned back to Mariam, the sound of shouting and guns firing still ringing in the background. "I want to have a word with the captain," he told her, "See if we can get to know Captain Ivanov a little better—much more than we already do, of course," he added.

Mariam rushed back onto the main deck and peered at the neighbouring ship through her telescope. She saw Kuznetsov, their master gunner, giving orders to the rest of the men on deck. She bit her lip. She had to admit, despite his rogue, brute-stupid way at sea, Ivanov had a crew of _extremely _good-looking men. Even now, with his face streaked with dust and his hat covered in ashes, Captain Ivanov's fiery red hair and ice blue eyes made him almost delicately attractive. She could almost be jealous at his slender, willowy frame and smooth, pale skin.

"Permission to approach the ship!" She called across the waters at Hiwatari, who leaned against the deck and fired at The Saint Shield almost carelessly, a handsomely bored expression on his face. She heard the bullet hit its target as a man on the deck doubled over in pain. As Hiwatari looked up, she could see pale blue shark fins painted, or tattooed, she couldn't tell, on both his cheeks. His crimson eyes flickered over her and he shot an inquiring look at the captain.

Mariam watched as Ivanov seethed and jerked his head violently. It clearly meant, "go on", but the expression on his face was murderous.

"Permission granted," the first mate called softly, "Saint Shield, please drop your weapons!"

Her brother approached her, sweat and dirt lining his otherwise youthful face. "Dresmond's dead," he said, referring to the sailor Hiwatari just hit. "Should I throw him overboard."

"If you wish," Mariam said cattily, "Just make sure Ozuma knows, or he'll flip this place twice over looking for that piece of shit." She focused her attention back on her telescope. "He was worthless anyway," she muttered. "Now…Who is this?"

She could barely make out another figure approaching the captain. His skin was dark and creamy, and a sheet of long, silvery hair fell down his waist. He was motioning towards the stern as he talked to Ivanov, his gaze mature and serious. She frowned and checked the list. She'd never seen this man before. He wasn't on the list.

"Who's that?" She snapped, grabbing Joseph by the back of his shirt and jerking him over to where she stood. She handed him the telescope. "Look."

She watched as her brother's eyes narrowed, then widened. "I've never seen him before," he frowned, tucking the telescope away, "He wasn't with them back in Spain."

"That was the last time we saw them?" Mariam demanded, "You sure he wasn't with them?"

Joseph nodded. "Are they all accounted for?"

"Get closer to the ship!" Mariam yelled, motioning her arms wildly, "And stop firing!" She looked at the men milling about on Neptune's Daughter and checked her list again.

"Wyatt Ichida. He's not there."

"What? How do you know?" Joseph looked over her shoulder.

She counted them in his head, "I recognize them all back when we followed them in Spain," she said, frowning. "All except that man, and Wyatt's not there. Their goddamn sailing master."

As they neared the other ship, Ozuma walked on deck. Sailors heaved a giant plank between the two ships to create a bridge. He stretched out his hand, and Mariam took it.

"Shall we?" He asked, grinning.

She bowed. "My pleasure, Sir."

**-BREAK—**

Neptune's Daughter was silent as they walked on the deck. Mariam saw Ivanov and Hiwatari standing in the middle of the crowd, their faces expressionless. They were scrutinizing her, she realized. She and Ozuma, both. Sizing up their opponents. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kuznetsov reappear from behind the billowing, white sails, wiping sweat off his brow. His light, fine hair hung in his eyes, his chiselled jaw was set and he towered above the mates, his broad shoulders pushing past the men.

"Captain Ivanov," Ozuma drawled, "So wonderful to finally meet you." He opened his arms in a brotherly, welcoming fashion. "I've heard so much."

Ivanov smiled. "As have I," he inclined his head politely.

Mariam was surprised at the gentle, courteous tone. It was a different Ivanov from the man she'd met a few nights ago, raging in Barbados. Of course he would make himself appear harmless. Why come out aggressive when he could play the role of the gentle pacifist?

"It's so lovely to be on your wonderful ship with your-uh," Ozuma's lip curled, "magnificent crew?"

The men closest to Ivanov bristled and looked at their captain for orders. Out of the corner of her eye, Mariam saw Hiwatari reach out and shake his head silently.

"You're too kind," Ivanov was smiling, but his eyes had a dangerous glint to the clear, cerulean blue. "And to what do I owe for this visit?"

"Well, you should know," Ozuma smiled, "See, Captain, you and I are after the same thing."

Mariam saw Ivanov and Kuznetsov exchange genuine, perplexed looks.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," the redhead said politely, "But I am willing to listen if you have an explanation for all of this."

Ozuma sighed and shot Mariam A Look. It clearly said something along the lines of, 'Can you believe this idiot.'

"A few months ago," Ozuma started, "You went to Spain on the search for a collection of crystal shards—because a women told you of The Tale of Brizo's Bangle when you were a boy. You won a crystal shard in a game of blackjack in Honduras, while you searched for Poseidon's Locket. That locket was an urban legend," he laughed bitterly, "But The Tale of Brizo's Bangle is true, isn't it?"

The other captain stared at him. "That's a _children's_ tale," he said incredulously, "You're fighting me over a children's tale?"

"Yes," Ozuma's eyes flashed, "Because you know exactly what Brizo's Bangle can be used for, and that's why you're looking for the pieces!"

Ivanov snorted. Mariam thought she saw a hint of contempt in his eyes. "You're being ridiculous," he said, "Yes I'm looking for the pieces, but I only want to reconstruct the heirloom." He paused and exchanged glances with Kuznetsov, "You see, I don't care about the 'magic' that bangle gave produce," he emphasized the word 'magic' with exaggerated sarcasm. "I have other reasons for hunting for those crystal shards."

"Oh really?" Mariam inquired, finally exasperated. "And what would that be, Captain Ivanov? Enlighten us if you're not searching for power."

The redhead smiled, his eyes suddenly sad. For a moment, Mariam thought she saw the stormy rage of the sea, glittering in the rich blue depths. "Like I said, it's an heirloom. You see, the woman in Brizo's Bangle is not actually named Brizo. She was a woman by the name of Pelageya Fedorov."

"So?" Ozuma snapped. "What does it matter?"

"She was my mother."

**-BREAK—**

That's chapter five for you folks! I will be working on the next chapter as of…RIGHT NOW. :D I would really love to hear your opinion on this- do you like it/love it/hate it/any rants? Any requests/speculation coming up? Please leave a quick message, I'd love to hear what you have to say! Thank you so much for reading.

Much love, Kissing Serendipity


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